Streptococcus pyogenes is a group A streptococcal gram-positive bacterium that is the etiological agent of several diseases in humans, including pharyngitis and/or tonsillitis, skin infections (impetigo, erysipelas, and other forms of pyoderma), acute rheumatic fever (ARF), scarlet fever (SF), poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN), and a toxic shock-like syndrome (TSLS). On a global basis, ARF is the most common cause of pediatric heart disease. For example, it is estimated that in India, more than six million school-aged children suffer from rheumatic heart disease. In the United States, “sore throat” is the third most common reason for physician office visits and S. pyogenes is recovered from about 30% of children with this complaint. There are about 25-35 million cases of streptococcal pharyngitis per year in the United States, responsible for about 1-2 billion dollars per year in health care costs.